money tips

While any politician, political party, or PAC worth its salt would be more than happy to receive your support in the form of cash or check, monetary gifts aren't the only donation recognized by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Fundraiser tickets, loans, office supplies, and even t-shirts can be considered campaign contributions. Any goods or services provided to a candidate or political committee goes against your $117,000 biennial contribution cap and is subject to the individual committee limits. If you're hanging onto your hard-earned cash but still want to find ways to help out your candidate, here are some things to know about other kinds of campaign contributions that will help you keep your support on the straight-and-narrow.

Donated Items and Services
Donations of supplies, furniture, business services, or anything else of value is considered an in-kind contribution, and the value of these items counts against the FEC's contribution limits. If, as a business owner, you offer a discount to a candidate or committee, then the amount of that discount will be considered a contribution.

Fundraising
Hosting a fundraiser in itself is not considered a campaign contribution, but expenses associated with those events are — if they exceed $1,000 for events that benefit a candidate or $2,000 for fundraisers benefiting a committee. If you purchase a ticket to a fundraiser, the cost of that ticket is deemed a contribution, even if the cost of the food and beverages you consume there is less than the ticket price. And the FEC even counts the purchase of a t-shirt as a campaign donation if the proceeds of that transaction benefit a campaign.

Loans
If you loan money to a campaign — even if you charge interest on that loan — then the amount that you lend is considered a contribution. As the candidate or committee pays you back, the contribution amount also decreases. But keep in mind that the amount you loan cannot exceed the contribution limits designated by the FEC.

For a few more campaign contribution rules, keep reading.

For those of us too busy to volunteer our time to our chosen presidential candidate or political cause, making a donation is a less time-consuming alternative. But before you put pen to checkbook, remember that the Federal Election Commission (FEC) regulates and keeps tabs on what we citizens do with our money when it relates to federal elections. Here's a quick guide to campaign contribution limits for the upcoming general election in November. Be sure to consult with your state and local election boards to find out if any rules apply to donations made to local officials.

For presidential candidates: If the candidate is not receiving federal funds, you may donate up to $2,500. If the candidate is receiving those federal monies, no donations can be made to his or her general election campaign, but you can contribute up to $2,500 to the candidate's compliance fund, which is a special account used to pay for certain legal and accounting expenses.

Political action committees (PACs): For PACs that support federal candidates, you may donate up to $5,000 per calendar year.

State or local party committees: You may donate up to $10,000 per calendar year to state or local branches of political party committees.

National party committees: You may donate a maximum of $30,800 per calendar year to national party committees like the Democratic and Republican National Committees.

Cash contributions to political committees: You may contribute up to $100 in cash to a political committee; any amounts exceeding $100 must be paid via check, money order, or other written instrument. Anonymous cash donations are limited to $50.

The FEC limits total biennial contributions to $117,000 for donations to federal candidates and political committees combined. Of that amount, $46,000 can go toward candidates, and $70,800 can be allocated to PACs and parties.

Unfortunately, my sister's been hit — someone got a hold of her bank account information and opened a couple new store charge accounts, racking up quite a sum in fraudulent charges. She's not completely negligent with her personal financial information, so I was pretty surprised they got their hands on all of these sensitive stats, but in the digital age, keeping track of your finances means there's no room for carelessness. Stay up to date with your bills and financial statements and follow these tips so you're always on top of it:

• Don't carry around your social security card, ever! — It's simple, I know, but nonetheless important to remember. There's no reason to have this card on you while you're out running errands. Store it safely at home, always.
• Read your financial statements carefully — Read all of your bills and statements. If your accounts are online, sign on regularly and be sure you're monitoring the account's activity. If something seems off, don't hesitate to call your bank or credit card company to find out what's going on. This also means staying on top of your credit report and knowing your credit score. Sites TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian are each required by law to provide you one free credit report a year, so take advantage. If ever something seems amiss, it's always better to be overly cautious than to be sorry later.

To get the rest of my tips read on.

A week full of savings can mean a lot of money in your pocket — but that's only if you stick to your budget on your weekends, too. Stay savvy and alert, and keep from spending more than you need to. To make it easier on you, follow these tips and come up with a weekend game plan that doesn't involve digging into your wallet again and again.

1. Be Social and Cost-Saving — Plan a social activity that's thrifty, but still fun (I promise, they're not mutually exclusive). Host a BYOB potluck or barbecue, or invite friends over for a game night.
2. Find Out If It's Cheaper to Make It Yourself — Put home economics to practical use. You could save on your grocery bills when you make cooking staples at home.
3. Calculate a Purchase in Work Time — Weighing the cost of a prospective purchase in terms of hours worked will make you think twice about unloading your cash.

Get the rest of my weekend saving tips after the jump.

SavvySugar spoke to Mike Melby, CEO and founder of PayDivvy, a free service that allows you to pay all of your bills in one place and split group expenses. The inspiration for PayDivvy came from Mike's own experience juggling his personal bills as a young professional and shared expenses with roommates. He says, "For three years, there was confusion, hassle, social friction, and financial drain. I realized that this is too ubiquitous of a problem. This is happening everywhere, particularly in our demographic, and I started to think what the ideal solution would be." Whether you are a college student looking to divvy up expenses between your roommates or simply trying to efficiently pay your bills, PayDivvy can help anyone to manage personal finance in a better fashion. Mike takes us through the four major tenants of PayDivvy

A week full of savings can mean a lot of money in your pocket — but that's only if you stick to your budget on your weekends, too. Stay savvy and alert, and keep from spending more than you need to. To make it easier on you, follow these tips and come up with a weekend game plan that doesn't involve digging into your wallet again and again.

1. Be Social and Cost-Saving — Plan a social activity that's thrifty but still fun (I promise, they're not mutually exclusive). Host a BYOB potluck or barbecue, or invite friends over for a game night.
2. Find Out If It's Cheaper to Make It Yourself — Put home economics to practical use. You could save on your grocery bills when you make cooking staples at home.
3. Calculate a Purchase in Work Time — Weighing the cost of a prospective purchase in terms of hours worked will make you think twice about unloading your cash.

Get the rest of my weekend saving tips after the jump.

When the weekend rolls around it's easy to get swept away in all the fun, just be sure your savings don't get swept away too. Instead of weekend activities that put a drain on your funds, avoid your impulses to shop, shop, shop, and employ all your smart saving tactics. I know you can do it! Stay strong and capitalize on the fun that doesn't come with a hefty price tag.

1. Save Big When You Eat Out — When the craving strikes for a meal out, just do it the smart way. There are tons of great deals to be had at some of your favorite restaurants, just be resourceful and you could score some serious discounts.
2. Plan Some Cost-Friendly Fun With Friends — A weekend night in can be just as fun as a big night out, and in the morning you won't regret that monster bar tab. Instead, have your crew over for game night, a potluck, or BYOB barbecue.
3. Find Out If It's Cheaper to Make Yourself — Forget spending on the basics you can make on your own for less. Plus, you'll have fun in the kitchen whipping up some cooking staples of your own. Turn it into a group activity when you have your friends join in on the savings.

For more ways to streamline your weekend savings, just read more.

You've kept a watchful eye on your money and smartly budgeted your spending all week — so don't blow it now. Weekends can seem the opportune time to let loose, but don't give in to wasteful spending. Keep at it, stay mindful and in control of your finances, and say goodbye to throwing your money around without good reason. Come Monday morning, you'll still have a pocket full of cash and zero regrets.

1. Go Cash Only — Rather than swiping your card and watching your bill climb, challenge yourself to spend only the cash you've got. Spending only the actual cash you have will make you more mindful of what you're buying and keep you from overspending.
2. Cool Off Before You Decide to Spend — If you jump to spend your money without thinking, you're likely to unload a lot of cash and have some serious regrets later. Instead, leave the item on hold, leave the store, and think about it. Let yourself cool down to avoid the infamous impulse buy.
3. Become a High- and Low-End Mix Master — You'll save a bundle when you learn to prioritize your spending. Spend on items that will last you, and find cheaper substitutes for the expensive items you don't need. Learning to balance high- and low-end spending will help you stay on budget.

Get the rest of my weekend tips after the jump